A surprising new name has entered the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching search, that being UConn’s Dan Hurley, who is coming off back-to-back national titles with the Huskies.
Given that he was not mentioned up until early Thursday morning, there seems to be a lot of pressure from the Lakers front office to lure Hurley away from the college ranks.
With the candidate pool not being filled with ton of experience, Hurley can provide that for L.A. While it is not NBA-level of experience, he certainly has more than JJ Redick as signs originally pointed to him landing the job until now.
However, Hurley has a lot to consider as UConn could go for a third straight National Championship in 2024-25. He has expressed a desire to coach in the NBA though and it doesn’t get much better than a LeBron James and Anthony Davis led squad on the Lakers. Even former UConn head coach Jim Calhoun wants Hurley to consider this opportunity presented to him, via John Fanta of Fox Sports:
“I think he needs to look at the Lakers opportunity like anybody else would. You’ve got to look at it. It’s Danny and his wife’s decision. It’s a family decision. Going 3,000 miles from where you’re from is hard though. I looked at a couple NBA jobs. I know who I am. I’m a college coach. I’m not a pro coach. He’s happy at UConn. He loves UConn, and we’ve become great friends and I’m very proud of and happy for him. It comes down to what he wants, but this is the Lakers we’re talking about. Yes, you look at this opportunity, of course.”
For an organization that wants a coach for the present and future, it does not get better than the best coach in college basketball. There have been instances where college head coaches struggle with this transition, but taking a risk and going all out on Hurley makes sense given the lack of other quality candidates currently available.
It is rumored that L.A. is being aggressive with their pursuit, and money could become an enticing piece to Hurley in these negotiations, which means it will be up to the front office and ownership group to close the deal.
Some within organization ‘shocked’ at pursuit of UConn’s Dan Hurley
This coaching search looked all but finished as JJ Redick looked to be the frontrunner with little competition behind him. However, with Dan Hurley now in the picture, this adds an entirely new wrinkle to this incredibly important decision.
With no previous mentions of Pelinka and company dabbling into a possible college head coach like Hurley, some within the Lakers organization were ‘shocked’ at the recent developments.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!